Summer/Fall 2014 Book Festival: The Liberty Dying Series

Today I share the final author interview and giveaway in the Summer/Fall 2014 Backdoor Survival Book Festival. I am sure you will agree that there have been some terrific books in this round and that we have all learned from the insights of the many authors that have been featured.

This week, Kelli Otting, the author of two books in the Liberty Dying Series, is here to answer our interview questions and to offer both of her books as a giveaway.

Enjoy the interview and be sure to check out the details of this week’s giveaway below.

An Interview with Kelli Otting

The books are about how a small town, fictitious Briar, Missouri, responds to an egregious overreach of federal powers requiring everyone to wear an implanted RFID chip. The local inhabitants try their best to protect their families and friends. Some people crack under the pressure, some people decide to spy on their friends, and others just try to survive.

Then there are the few who decide to fight back.

What type of research did you have to do while writing your book?

I researched the population forward growth curve and food production forecasts. Throw in the seed manipulators with GMO crops and I’ll spin the big wheel for a million, Chuck.

What I found troubling was finding credible research about the worldwide oil reserves, both undeveloped and developed and the extent of likely deposits. The reading was either completely comfortable for the next hundred years of growth or doomsday predictions of peak oil already ‘over the peak’.

There are plenty of examples of Executive overreach, Supreme Court Judges with blatant conflict of interests, and many many examples that our government has gone ‘off the rails’.

The research reads like its own horror story.

How long did they take to write?

The first book, JOC took about two years of serious effort. I learned a lot both writing and researching.

The second book, NSN took about a year. It was harder for me because so many things were happening. I had to focus to make sure all the characters introduced in JOC had continuity. I’m working on the third and probably final book in the series. The more I write the third book, the more fun it becomes. Everything is falling into place, just as I planned.

Every book, fiction and non-fiction, includes a message. What message do you hope my readers will take with them after reading the Liberty Dying Series?

The sorry fact is that the people reading these books are already aware that everything is not under control and wonderful. What I wish, is that people would share, not only my books, but also the books of others, Joe Nobody, John Grit, and A. American, for example. The more people preparing the better. We write fiction but it’s a glimpse into a world that, given a tiny paradigm shift, could be falling on our heads.

Another point that gets made time and time again is that everyone needs to contribute in our society today. We all have strengths to offer to help others. When everyone is doing a little bit, the burden is easier to carry. A few people trying to do it all won’t work. Everyone needs to work.

Many times in my books, people think they can handle something alone only to be weighted down by it until it affects the others in a domino effect. Working together, they overcome. Today many people are far too focused on themselves. It takes community to survive. We need build it up, not burn it down.

Can you tell us a little bit more about yourself?

I’m a 47-year-old Grandmother. My son is an officer in the Army. He’s served a tour in Iraq, which impacted our family hard. We’re in the process of leaving Illinois. When you’ve dug-in for over 20 years, it takes more than a few days to get everything ready.

Our business is finally going up for auction on October 25th. One major step forward! We’ve contacted several builders and hope to break ground on the new house later this year, maybe it’s getting too late, but I am still holding out some hope.

I’m an eternal optimist. The new house is going up in Far Southern Missouri, off-grid.

As an author in the survival, prepping and/or homesteading niche, what are you personally preparing for?

We’re already experiencing inflation in food costs. I believe the perfect storm is brewing with the corruption, inflation, debt, population growth, and GMO foods. Too many people don’t care. They walk around in this haze of handouts while screaming illiterately that they’re disenfranchised.

The US is in such deep debt that paying it off is unrealistic. Yet, congress keeps spending. We (the US) send billions to other countries but we are drowning in debt. I could go on and on about the corruption in politics from the county board to Washington. It’s becoming status quo to accept that politicians are simply corrupt.

Look at the historical conditions of countries with high corruption. The US education ranking continues to slide along with abject poverty levels. The US refuses to close her southern border and enforce laws already written.

Our great country continues to be eaten up from the inside out. I prepare for the inevitable correction.

Do you have plans for another book?

I’m writing the third book of the Liberty Dying Series. I’m also working on another book unrelated to the Liberty Dying series. The, as yet untitled, third book of the Liberty Dying series is a little behind schedule. I had hoped to launch it at the end of summer but I’m running a month or so behind.

Is there anything else you would like to share with my readers?

I want to thank everyone that read my books. Please accept my humble gratitude. Those that took a few minutes to write a review, I especially want to thank. That feedback helps me become a better writer. I’ve also received vitriolic personal responses. Those are helping me grow a thicker skin. Everyone who takes a few minutes to respond gives me something and I want to thank you all.

The Book Giveaway

A copy of both Jingling Our Change and Nanny State Nightmare have been reserved for one lucky reader. To enter the giveaway, you need to utilize the Rafflecopter form below. There are a two options to enter including a “free for everyone” option that requires just a single click. Easy peasy!

The deadline is 6:00 PM Pacific next Thursday with the winner notified by email and announced on the Rafflecopter widget in this article. Please note that the winner must claim their book within 48 hours or an alternate will be selected.

The “Rafflecopter”

The Final Word

Anyone who is distraught by the direction our country is headed is going to enjoy the books in the Liberty Dying Series. As Kelli writes” “There aren’t enough people left paying taxes to support the free lifestyle the politicians advertised and promised”.

I encourage you to enter the giveaway to win your own copy of Kelli’s two books!

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!Gaye

Related Articles:

For over 40 years, Bloom’s been kicked around by the hard knocks of life.

Events cascade into chaos as she tries to help her friends survive the infrastructure collapse. Polite society experiences a massive correction. Struggling through violent clashes and heartbreaking decisions, the small group grow strong bonds as they work together to hold on to their food, guns, and property as the government reaches in to take what they want by granting themselves ever-increasing authority. Individuals quickly reprioritize their loyalties, as the political elite focus on micromanaging the population.

While some people look toward liberty for the future, others decide to take full advantage of the anarchy by feeding off people’s adversity. Either way, only the strong can survive. There are no handouts left.

The United States is paying the piper for years of meddling in sovereign nation’s affairs, absurd monetary policy, and self-serving corporate cronyism. The bloated government bureaucracy is slow and unresponsive. Political infighting and old-school tactics derail any attempt at reform. Old worn-out attitudes and methods aren’t helping the American people deal with the runaway inflation and unprecedented joblessness.

There aren’t enough people left paying taxes to support the free lifestyle politicians advertised and promised. Bloom, Carl and their friends from Briar, Missouri see the writing on the wall and work to ensure a future of Liberty and Freedom, even as the government uses fear and intimidation to control the mindless masses.

It’s a dangerous time to be a Constitutional Patriot in America.

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Bargain Bin: Today is all about books. Listed below are all of the books in the current Backdoor Survival Book Festival. There are both fiction and non-fiction titles and a bit of something for everyone.

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The Prepper’s Guide to Food Storage is a book about food: What to store, how to store it and best practices. It is a roadmap for showing ordinary citizens that long-term food storage is not something that will overwhelm or burden the family budget. It is based on my own tried and true experience as someone who has learned to live the preparedness lifestyle by approaching emergency preparedness and planning in a systematic, step-by-step manner.

Whether you simply want to prepare for natural disasters or whether you believe the world is headed toward a major food crisis, this book is for you. It covers basic tips and techniques you can use to stock your food storage pantry so that you can be assured that your family will have food to eat, no matter what.

Sorry didn’t answer the question. My hardest knock was buying food supplies and not getting around to putting them in long term storage containers when I first moved into a new county home. Just stored the boxes and cans in a shed…Big mistake! Pests love oatmeal and dried beans!

Hardest knock? That you can survive having had to make the decision to allow a loved one to gracefully die instead of making no decision (which is a decision itself!) and letting them continue to suffer.
Always honor a loved ones DNR!

Hardest knock was realizing even with good effort being prepared eludes us. Changing health, circumstances, family growth and new threats seemed to make our quest an impossible dream. We are way ahead of where we were but still way behind where we want and need to be. Should have known societal decline would be a continually uphill battle for us but it was a “hard knock” when that really soaked in. Now the hobby is a lifestyle and we are thankful we are no longer sheeple with half a mind to prepare for the future.

The hardest knock that comes to my mind was when I was a week away from having my first child, my husband was laid off out of the clear blue sky. At that time around here jobs were very few and far between. Fortunately, we had our food stores to rely on and he was able to pick up odd jobs to scrape enough for diapers and utility bills. By the time he did find a suitable new job our preps had dwindled seriously. It has been a long road to rebuild our supply. I still don’t feel like we are “there” yet. I still have nights that are hard to fall asleep because I fear that if a SHTF situation happened tomorrow I don’t feel ready yet. Like it has been said before, “no great loss comes without some small gain.” We did learn what were true NEEDS and what could be lived without. We cancelled cell phone contracts, cancelled satellite tv, sold our ‘extra’ vehicle, and eating off our preps taught us to appreciate more simple foods. I tell you the truth that it was a very LIBERATING time.

Hardest knock – actually three in a calendar year – laid off from a great job after 15 years, putting down a much beloved dog, and my husband ending out of the blue what I thought was a pretty good 40+ year marriage. Rough going but I survived and am stronger for it. I have quietly prepared for whatever the future will bring. I don’t buy into the hype and political fear mongering that goes on with many of these prepper sites but I do believe in being self reliant.

That you have to count on yourself first and foremost. People will let you down, so be strong and ready to fend for yourself if you have too. And the people who don’t let you down are worth their weight in gold!!

Life sucks, then you die. Believing the good guys come out best in the end is wrong. I have seen many “bad guys” live to be a very old age, and live all of it off the backs of the “good guys”. Being good does not guarantee success.

I feel like my hardest knock is that I spend so much time and effort researching what’s going on in our country, and trying to slowly prepare for what’s coming, and to find that not only do people (including my own family!) not believe me, but they mock me and try to undermine what I’m doing.
I do it anyway! Maybe some day some of them will thank me for it. 🙂

I had breast cancer a couple of years ago, and had to go through the whole shebang of chemo, 2 surgeries, radiation, losing my hair (which was waist length!) fatigue, illness, pain, etc. But the Lord saw me through it all along with friends and family. Today I’m cancer free and healthy!

The hardest knock in life so far was when we thought the Sheriff’s office would help my father instead brought a SWAT team over to our 30 acre farm and shot him 18 times and killed him on his birthday.

My hardest knock(s) was surviving a very abusive childhood, raising 3 daughters who treated me like cr@p when they were teenagers, rescuing my oldest grandson with lots of love and prayer and surviving 6 surgeries in less than 4 years, all by the grace of God. Now I know first-hand I can survive anything and when I get to the Pearly Gates will leave Saint Peter spinning while I blast through there!

I have 2. I can no longer trust people any more because I know that eventually they will stab you in the back, I speak of 72 years of this happening. The other is close to the first one. Can’t trust the governments of any size because they are all corrupt and certain gov’ts are trying to kill as many people as they can.

Sounds very interesting. Many financial institutions are re-issuing credit and debit cards with RFID. Now I need to invest in some privacy sleeves for them. Don’t want to imagine what the world would be like with everyone tagged. Scary indeed.

The most recent overshadows the others. I am rehabbing a right rotator cuff( arm will be mine in Dec) rolled the car on Mon. 2 to 4 times and had my first helicopter ride. Angel on my shoulder seat belt on.

The “hardest knock” is not having anyone close by to share survivalist means. Not having the right type of neighbors to form a close group to survive. Not having our family on board with our plans and not having our children close enough to help. The biggest knock will be the future when we really have to play out the story of survival.

“Hardest Knock” I guess would be having a crappy childhood having to basically raise my younger siblings while our mother partied. And now that she has calmed down, and even watches my daughter, her and her husband still rely on me for more than any parent should rely on their children.

Hardest knock….would be the fact that, being a very independant person, I may have to rely on someone else. It is hard to put trust in people today, even family. The one thing I have learned is that, What doesnt kill me, will make me stronger, and that’s a for sure.

Hardest knock is when your family makes fun of you for putting aside a little extra, and the funny thing is they were all raised the same way I was. Slowly they are coming around but it took the church talking about it and telling them to put some extra away and find alternative ways of doing things, learning or practicing skills, looking out for family, friends and neighbors. I do not tell my family the extent of my preps but I will keep encouraging them to move forward with theirs. They are all scared that they started too late.

Many of us keep a bug-out bag in the trunk of our car. BIG ALLERT. If something happens (like an emp) and the electric system of your car cannot work, unless you have a car that can use the key to open the trunk, you will not have access to your bug-out bag! My car has an opening to allow me to carry a long item from the trunk into the car. I am now rigging a way to open the trunk through that little opening from the inside of the car. Why prepare, it you can’t get to what you need? Something to think about.

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MEET GAYE

I'm Gaye, just an ordinary gal trying to make sense of our changing world. I am addicted to prepping, DIY projects, adult coloring books, and ballroom dancing. I live what I call a strategic life and believe you should too. Everyone needs to prepare for the worst and live for the best. Won't you join me?

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